


Flight to Redemption

by Tarlan



Category: Darklight (2004)
Genre: Community: smallfandomfest, M/M, Redemption
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-05
Updated: 2015-06-05
Packaged: 2018-04-03 00:42:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4080028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Gates of Hell open, Will has to confront the demonicos again along with his own inner demons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flight to Redemption

**Author's Note:**

> Created for SmallFandomFest Round 17

When the Gates of Hell opened, no one expected to see the Demonicos rise along with dozens of other demons. Will had stupidly thought being beheaded by Lilith would be the end of Anders Raeborne and his own petty brand of insanity. After all, The Faith had taken Raeborne's head and extracted the cure for the Red Plague from his brain tissue.

Yet there he was, with leathery wings flapping to keep him hovering above Will's head as he ran for cover. He yelled out as Raeborne caught hold of him, lifting him high off the ground. His-Its talons were digging into his flesh almost hard enough to break skin and it took Will a few seconds before he saw the stupidity in struggling. If Raeborne should let go of him now then he would fall to his death on the rocks below. It was hard but he forced himself to relax, hoping he would have a chance to fight back once his feet were on solid ground once more.

A screech pierced the air and he felt the impact as Lilith attacked. Her talons must have raked over Raeborne's back as he arched away from the pain, talons digging in deeper out of reflex as he tightened his grip. Will cried out in pain, gasping as he felt the sharpness of talons recede in response. They flew onwards with Lilith haranguing Raeborne with curses, and occasionally darting in to attack him physically, trying to drive him back towards the ground. Her attacks increased when Raeborne moved above deep water where there was more room to maneuver, but that only served to drive Raeborne back closer to the cliffs where the strong waves crashed against the jagged rocks at their base.

When the Demonicos swerved suddenly, his grip loosening, Will found his fingers scrabbling for and digging into Raeborne's leathery flesh out of fear of falling. A darkness in the cliff face took on new form and moments later Raeborne was swooping into a cave cut into the side of the cliff. Will tumbled from Raeborne's grip, rolling over several times before fetching up against the back of the shallow cave. By now Raeborne was close and before Will could begin to climb back to his feet, the Demonicos was behind him, his claws flowing with darklight as they stabbed into the back of Will's neck while the other talon held him close.

The cave mouth filled with the dark shape of Lilith in demon form, her bat-like, leathery wings beating the air for a moment longer than necessary before folding up behind her as she stepped fully into the cave. The moon provided a silvery backdrop, setting her off in silhouette as she stalked forward, stopping barely six feet away.

Will could feel thoughts and emotions pushing into his head, just like the last time the Demonicos spoke through him. Previously he had shared all the misery, pain, anger and seething resentment filling Raeborne but this time all he felt was fear and desperation.

"I do not wish to fight you."

The voice was his but the words belonged to Raeborne as he used Will as his mouthpiece.

"Then let him go," Lilith demanded.

"I wish only to talk. I will not harm him."

Lilith bristled, wings flapping before settling. Her head tilted as she weighed up her options, and Will saw her straighten, having come to a decision.

"I will listen."

"Before... you said we were not the same. We still share the same blood, the darklight, but now I am like you. I want to be redeemed."

"Then let him go," Lilith demanded again.

Will could feel the turmoil of Raeborne's thoughts and feelings, and his own conflicting emotions. On the scale of things, Lilith had done far worse than Raeborne during her millennia of existence. She had murdered so many innocents since the dawn of creation, including his son, and yet The Faith had considered her to be redeemable, so why not Anders Raeborne?

Petty, arrogant, resentful, angry. Will had looked closely at the circumstances that had created a monster - how Raeborne's colleagues had used him as a scapegoat while they took credit for all his work, and how his own father had seemingly rejected him, siding with those others. He thought of how easily Chapel had manipulated Raeborne into bringing Hell to Earth, and from the thoughts he now shared through the Demonicos, he could see the truth of Raeborne's words.

Raeborne had seen Hell, and the spark within him that had chosen to become a doctor, seeking a way to heal and prolong healthy life, had re-ignited. Small and fragile, requiring only a little nurturing. Will's heart went out to Raeborne, seeing beyond the monster to the man beneath, just as he had cast aside his grief and hatred for Lilith.

Yet he already felt more for Raeborne, his own inner demons taunting him as he shared intimate thoughts unintentionally. He recalled the strong body that had held him close on the flight to this cave, thrilled by the power of those arms and beating wings. He thought of the man beneath the monstrous form - the intelligent blue eyes and crooked smile - and saw a reflection of himself in Raeborne's mind, tinged with desire.

 _Let me go_ , he mind-whispered to Raeborne, and after a moment's hesitation he felt his mind and body released.

Half turning, Will watched as Raeborne backed into the cave wall, his form slowly changing from fearsome demonicos to fragile human. Lilith hissed and took several steps forward but Will, still on his knees, held up his hand.

"No."

He willed her to understand, knowing a small part of her redemption had to come from discovering the beauty and grace of showing mercy and understanding, something he could not teach as it had to come from the heart. Her terrifying face slowly morphed into a beautiful woman along with the rest of her demon form. She was confused but willing to take this small step into the unknown, staring in puzzlement at Raeborne over the top of Will. He felt Raeborne's hand settle on his shoulder, and Will placed his own hand over Raeborne's, squeezing gently.

Eventually she looked from their hands to Will's face. "Are you willing to take a chance... on him?"

Will smiled softly. "I took a chance on you, didn't I?"

Her eyes widened fractionally, but then her small frame relaxed and she nodded, taking another step on the road to her redemption.

It was another fresh start - for all of them.

END  
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